The invention relates to a positioning device comprising an X-beam on which a carriage provided with a positioning head is movable in an X-direction, a first Y-beam on which a first carriage is movable in a Y-direction, a second Y-beam on which a second carriage is movable in the Y-direction, while a first end of the X-beam is connected to the first carriage of the first Y-beam by means of a first coupling, and a second end of the X-beam is connected to the second carriage of the second Y-beam by means of a second coupling such that the X- and Y-beams are oriented in an H-arrangement, said device further comprising drive means for separately driving the carriages on the Y-beams and the carriage with the positioning head on the X-beam.
Such a positioning device is known from EP-B1-0 109 718. The couplings between the X-beam and the carriages on the Y-beams are formed therein by pivot shafts oriented in a Z-direction which connect the parts to one another with rotation possibility. To enable a rotation of the X-beam about the Z-axis, one end of the X-beam is constructed as a sliding coupling in the X-direction. A positioning device is used for accurately positioning the one part, which is supported by the positioning head of the carriage on the X-beam, with respect to another part, which is supported by a machine part which is usually stationary. This is, for example, a component which is to be placed on a printed circuit board. The ever continuing miniaturization of components leads to ever stricter requirements being imposed on the accuracy with which components are to be positioned with respect to one another.